This invention is an improvement upon an experimental machine which is described in an article entitled, "Mechanical Harvesting and Fruit Recovery of Cantaloupes" by B. L. Harriott and R. E. Foster II which was presented at the 1973 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. It was published as paper No. 73-106.
In the paper is described a selective mechanical harvest apparatus for cantaloupes. Flexible rubber rods are used to comb ripe melons out of the vine area. A second machine uses a paddle wheel with rubber rods to sweep harvested melons onto an inclined conveyor for transport to bulk containers. The apparatus of this invention is an improvement upon the second machine.
The first machine was adapted to cause the melons to be delivered into the furrows. The second machine, upon which this invention is an improvement, may be designated as a machine which picks up melons from furrows and delivers them to other conveyor belts for loading into bins or trucks.
In that paper is described a paddle wheel arrangement with rubber rod fingers used to roll the melons up a series of inclined rods and onto an inclined belt conveyor equipped, preferably, with rubber flights. Peripheral speed of the paddle wheel was hydraulically controlled and was approximately twice ground speed. The inclined conveyor deposited the melons onto a horizontal side conveyor that carried them to the bulk container at the rear of the machine. The bulk container, typically, was lined with one inch foam rubber to prevent bruising of the fruit. Horizontal and inclined cross conveyors may replace the bulk container so that melons can be delivered directly to field trailers.
The entire unit was mounted on a standard farm tractor. All components were hydraulically driven.